1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of anchor retrieval devices, and more specifically, to a handheld, manual anchor retrieval device for use in drill boats and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Lifting a 35- to 40-pound anchor by hand in a drift boat is both strenuous and hard on a person's hands. There are no anchor retrieval devices on the market today that are lightweight, portable, and easy to use. Prior art devices are cumbersome and/or impractical. One example is the anchor line controller of U.S. Pat. No. 2,955,560 (Howington et al., 1960). Howington's device comprises a clamping means that is secured to the transom of the boat. The device further comprises a line guide, a guiding pulley, and a pivot bar that is secured to the line guide. A spring-biased wedge pinches the anchor line against a portion of the housing. This device is heavy and much larger than the present invention. It would likely require its own storage bag and would not be thrown into a tackle bag along with other fishing gear. Furthermore, this device is not handheld.
The second example is the anchor raising apparatus of U.S. Pat. No. 8,347,806 (Griffin, 2013). This device is a single-piece clip formed of cylindrical stainless steel (similar to a big paper clip) that is attached to an anchor line with a sliding motion. The device is also attached to a buoy, which helps pull a portion of the anchor line toward the surface of the body of water. The anchor line still has to be retrieved manually, however. Other than bringing the anchor line closer to the surface, this device does not assist at all in pulling the anchor line into the boat, nor does it alleviate any of the strain on the user's hands.
What is needed is an anchor retrieval device that is lightweight, portable and easily attached to an anchor line. The ideal device would have no moving parts that may get corroded or require maintenance. It would provide additional leverage for a person attempting to pull an anchor line up into a drift boat manually. The present invention meets all of these criteria and is economically designed to provide for a more natural movement when pulling on the rope.